Sealed enclosbure and method of sealing same



July 31, 1945. w. R. WALKER SEALED ENCLOSURE AND METHQD OF SEALING SAME Filed June 7, 1943 Fig 2.

lnvewkor Warren R. Walker, i 8 1 a His A't korneg.

Patented July 31, 1945 SEALED ENCLOSURE AND METHOD OF EALING SAME WarrenBsWslker, Forest Hills, N. Y., assignorto General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Application June 7, 1943, Serial No. 489,932

3 Claims.

My invention relates, in general, to hermetically sealed receptacles constituted at least partly of thin metal wall portions, and to the art of sealing such receptacles. More particularly, my invention relates to a method of sealing receptaes.

It has been proposed heretofore to hermetically seal a receptacle or container by welding a body of diillcultly fusible metal into an aperture in a thin metal wall portion of the receptacle, the welding being accomplished in such a way as to avoid burning of the metal or bending of the receptacle wall. Such a sealing method is disclosed in U. 8. Patent No. 2,141,932, issued December 27, 1938, to J. H. Payne, wherein a ball of dimcultly fusible metal is positioned in a receptacle aperture to be sealed so that a relatively extensive contact area exists between the receptacle and ball, after which the ball is fused to the receptacle over the aperture therein by the passa eofaweidlng current throughtheballand receptacle simultaneously with the exertion of pressure therebetween.

While such a sealing method produces an effective seal, it is more or less diillcult to adjust the welding conditions so that sumcient fusion is obtained to produce an effective seal without the sealingballbeinglmshedthroughthethinmetal wall of the receptacle due to overheating and resultant softening of the wall around the apertnretherein. Itisanobiect ofthepresentinvention to obviate such diillculty and to provide a simple and eil'ective method of hermetically sealing a receptacle or vessel constituted at least partly of a thin metal wall.

A feature of the invention is the use of a closure element in the form of a slug or ball made of steel or other diillcultly fusible metal and propleted seal comprising my invention; and Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view showing an alternatlve mode of application of my invention.

- The nature of my invention may best be understood by considering its application to a particular use such as sealing an electric incandescent lamp of the type shown in Fig. 1, the invention being of special utility in the manufacture of such type lamps. Referring to Fig. l, the lamp there shown is of the double-ended type disclosed and claimed in U. 8. Patent No. 2,191,346, issued February 20, 1940, to A. Greiner, and comprises a container or envelope consisting of a double- Kill vlded with a coating or plating of a more readily fusible metal or metal alloy such as cop r, for instance, the metal ball or slug being positioned over a slightly smaller aperture in a metal wall of the receptacle and a welding current than being passed through the said ball or slug to fuse only the metal plating thereon whereby overheating of those portions of the receptacle wall around the aperture therein, with consequent ended glass bulb or tube H having a pair of end contact or closure members l2, ll sealed by fusion to the opposite ends thereof." The end closure or terminal members I2, I! may beof thimble or cup-shaped form and are preferably made of a chrome-iron alloy or some other suitable metal having a coefficient of expansion approximating thatof the glass used for the bulb II. The bulb may be sealed by fusion to the metal thimbles in the manner disclosed in U S. Patent No. 2,221,888, issued November 19, 1940, to W. J. Geiger et al. Disposed within the container or envelope ill is a filament ll of tungsten or other suitable refractory metal and preferably extending longitudinally of the container. The said filament H is supported in place within the container or envelope II by means of support or lead-in wires It, ll spot welded to the opposite end closure or contact members l2, l3 and connected to opposite ends of the filament l4. Thimble i2 is provided with a small orifice or aperture il located at the bottom of a depression formed by the inwardly bent end wall ll of the said thimble. Evacuation of the envelope II and, if desired, gas charging thereof, is ell'ected through the said aperture ll after which the aperture is sealed or closed so as to render the envelope gas-tight. I

In accordance with the invention, the sealing of the envelope II is accomplished by positioning a metal closure member or ellet ll (Fig. 2) within the depression formed in the end wall is of thimble i! so that it coincides with and covers the aperture ll therein, and then welding the closure member to the said end wall. The said closure member or element II is preferably of spherical contour and is of slightly larger diameter than the aperture I'I so that it will not pass therethrough into the envelope ll. In accordance with the invention, the closure element is is formed of an inner core I. of a diillcu1tly fusihis (high melting point) metal provided with a thincoatingorplatingil ofamorereadilyfusible or lower melting P int metal.

The inner core or support II of the closure element It is made of a metal having a relatively fragmmtarylectionalviewshowingthecom-Whlghmeltingpointontheorderofthatofthe metal wall ll to-which the closure element is to be sealed. Steel is preferably employed for the inner core ll of the closure element, although chrome-iron alloys and nickel are also suitable for such purpose. The inner core ll of the closure element ll may be conveniently constituted by a steelballoithetypesuchasiscommerciallyused tor ball bearings.

The metal coating or plating II on the inner core or ball it of the closure element II is o! a metal which is more readily iusible than the metals of the inner core II and the envelope wall II to which the closure element is to be sealed. The coating or plating metal II also should be one that will satisfactorily adhere to or plate onto the inner core Ill. Copper is preferably employed as the coating metal 2| where steel is used for the inner core 20. A copper coating .001 inch in thickness on a steel ball havin: a diameter of .062 inch has been found to be satisfactory for the purposes oi this invention.

In order to evacuate the envelope ll and weld a closure element It in place on the metal wall I! over the aperture l1 therein so as to hermetically seal the envelope, a combination exhaust chamber and welding assembly or head I! is nrst brought into operative relation to the spertured thimble l2 and the adjacent portions 01' the lamp envelope ll, as shown in Pig. 2. The said assembly 22 may, for example, form a part of the sealing machine disclosed in U. 8. Patent No. 2,101,156; issued December 7, 1937, to J. H. Payne. As shown in Pig. 2, the assembly 22 comprises a stationary hollow electrode 28 which contacts with the outer surface of the metal thimble II. In order to render the Joint between the electrode It and the thimble l2 substantially gas-tight, a flexible tube 2| of rubber or other resilient material is provided on the end of the electrode, the said tube fitting tightly around the electrode end and around the bulb ll oi the lamp envelope ll. As a result of this gas-tight connection, a desired condition or vacuum or gas pressure may be mtablished within the envelope ll before it is sealed, such vacuum or gas pressure beina elfected through the hollow electrode II. In the case of electric incandescent l mp of the type under consideration, the lamp envelope II is prelerably more or less completely evacuated. In order to permit closure elements it to be fed into place after the desired vacuum or gas pressure is created within the container II, a tube II is provided which passes laterally ihrolllh the wall of the electrode ll.

(lo-operating with the stationary electrode 2| is a movable electrode II arranged, concentrically within the former. The lower end or surface 21 or the movable electrode II is flattened and is adapted to contact the closure element ll. During the welding operation. the contact pressure between these two elements is very slisht. being provided. for example, by the weight 0! the movable electrode Il alone or by the weight of the said electrode amisted y a weak compremion llllnl.

After the evacuation oi the lamp envelope ll andthepositioningofaclosureelement lionthe metal thimble I! over the aperture il therein, the movable electrode 28 is moved down into contactwlththe closure element II (as showninm. l) and an impulse oi high-amperage welding current then passed seriall throush the electrode asses ",theclosureelement Ilandthsthimbh wall il,whmceitrenlrnstotheoo-opsratim welding electrode II. Thswsldinacorrentpamlngthrouahtheclosureelementllheatstbessms 5 sosstolusethelow-melflngpotntmetalcoatina 2i thereonwhichthenliowsdownolrtoandintegrallyuniteswiththemetalotthewalll around the aperture llthereimasshownatli inl'ig.5,tothereby iormalal-tlsht seal.

Because of the coating II of lower meltinlpoint metal on the closure element II, it is mly necessary to pass a welding current through the closure element whichisiustsuilicienttomseths said costing ll. Since the fusim point o! the metal coating II is lowerthan tbatoi themetal wall ll of the envelope II, it is therefore unnecessarytoheattheclosureelementlltosuchan extentaemightcausetheenvelopewall iltobecome soltenai and delormed by th said closure elementandtheclosureelementtobepushsd clear through the aperture II. As a result, my invention provides a very simple and eflecths method ofseolinzaclosure elementinplaeeover an aperture in a thin metal wall, and eliminates theneed for overly critical control or the weldins currentemployed.

While I have described my invention as being preierably applied in connection with a spherical cloeure element, it is not necessarily limited thereto. Thus, in Fig. 5 I have illusu'ated a modification oi the inventioninwhichflieclosurs element or pellet II is of essentially rhomblc cross-section having one apex positioned in the seal-oil aperture 11 andtheotherapexpositionsd 35 inarelativelysmallopening I. provided forthat purposeinthelowerlaceor endorawelding electrode ll.

whatIclaimasnewanddesiretosecurqby letters Patentotthellnited States ls:

1. An electric lamp comprising an evacuated class envelope having an end wall 0! sheet chrome-iron with an exhaust aperture therein. and closure means consisting oi a copper-coated steelpelletslishtlvlaraerthanthesaidaperturs. usaidpelletbeingflttedinsaidapsrtureandabortionodltscoppercoatingbeingimedtothepsripheryoi'saidaperture.

2. An electric lamp comprising an evacuated glass envelope having an md wall of sheet metal with an exhaust aperture therein. and closure meansconsisting orametalpelletslllhflrlargar thansaidapertureandhavingtbereonametalhc coatinmthesaidcoatingbeinsoi'metalhavinsa meltingpointoltheorderoi'tbatoi'cowerbut belowthemeltingpointottbesaidendwallor pellet,thesaidpelletbeinsnttedinsakiaperturs andaportionoritscoatimmetslbelngnnsdb theperipheryotnidaperture.

3. lnthemanulactureodelech'ielampscomprisinsaalassenvelopehavinganendwalld sheetmetalwithsnexhamtapermretherdmtbs steps which comprise evacuaflng the envelope thmmhsaidspernirenttinginsaidapsrhn'sa coatedmetal pelletsliahtblarsestbanthsalllltureandprovidedwithaooatlngolmetalhavin ameitinewmtortheorderonnatormbfl belowthemeitlnemintortbesaldeodwallor pellet, and then passing serially thrmlh the coatedpelletandtheendwallanelectrlccurrmt suiilcienttoluseflmecoatinlmetaltotherebymal the aperture.

WAR-BIN R. Wm 

